We all know that password protection is the key to a safe, secure online account. The simple tips of keeping your password complex, unguessable, and secret are obvious, but did you know that there is a step you can take to ensure that your data is secured even further? That’s right, through Two Factor Authentication, you can prevent password compromisation from even the craftiest hackers.

Most sites offer Two Factor Authentication services right now, with more and more supporting the system every day. The way Two Factor Authentication works is quite easy to understand: Simply set up a mobile phone or another authorized device to confirm your login status, through a text message, automated phone call, or even a code-generating app. When you login, the site will send a confirmation code to your device which you will then recite back to the website, granting you access. No code? No access. Simple as that.

Through Two Factor Authentication, attempts of cracking into your account through things like password guessers or identity theft can be thwarted. In the past, if hackers compromised your information, all they would need was your username and password to have access to all of your data. Now with Two Factor Authentication, the physical device in your hand is a secondary barrier between you and your precious data, ensuring that the only person who has access is you.

Speaking from personal experience, I can’t recommend Two Factor Authentication enough. I’ve had several occasions where my phone would go off, telling me that someone in Russia is attempting to access one of my gaming accounts. Thanks to Two Factor Authentication, I could simply ignore the generated security message and rest easy knowing that all of my information was safe. In fact, I had once had one of my accounts compromised and later learned that I could have enabled Two Factor Authentication from the get-go. After that incident, wherein I lost hundreds of dollars of software licenses that couldn’t be recovered, I made sure that every once of my accounts going forward had Two Factor Authentication.

So what do you think? Will you take the extra step to enable this security measure on your accounts? Or do you enjoy the simplicity of a simple username and password? Tell us what you think in the comments below!